Re:Criticizing Google got me fired
by peterwwillis on Thursday August 31, 2017 @04:35PM
(#15143694)
The disconnect is probably with confusion or distaste over the word 'propaganda'. It has a negative connotation, but 'propaganda' means "non-objective information used primarily to influence an audience or further an agenda", which is what think tanks produce.
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I think many think-tanks would take issue with "non-objective". Certainly the think tanks themselves subjectively examine only certain issues, but they would like to believe their examinations are as objective as possible.
The difference being that while I may only ever study the stars and refuse to study plants, my examinations of the stars are still objective, even though the area of my examinations are not comprehensive.
Re:Criticizing Google got me fired
by erikpukinskis on Thursday August 31, 2017 @08:07PM
(#15145100)
Sure, there are researchers who are making narrow claims, but what think tank isn't making broad claims?
If you're going to make broad claims and claim to be objective, you need a more robust metaphysical approach than the mission statement of these places usually allows... And even then, you'll probably fail. Your tactics leak into your metaphysics and your ideology leaks into your tactics. Broad claims and objectivity just don't mix.